Continued from Volunteering at Peepal Farm part I…

Going by the rules, the large animals (bovines/equines) and the small animals (dogs/cats) are housed in different enclosures. However, it’s not uncommon to see some of the dogs and cats lazing around in the large animal section, interacting or playing with the baby calves or the sheep, basking in the sun, or “helping” out the vet and his staff in caring for the large animals.

“This looks and smells horrible!” Jim exclaims, with an exasperated look on his face. I look at the mound of gooey, stinky, greenish-yellow dog poop inside the enclosure we are supposed to clean and nod in affirmation. Jim, a soft-spoken gentleman in his mid-40s with fine brown hair and eyes of the same color, is from the UK. His eyes, usually sparkling with kindness, are now crinkled with disgust. Yes, we are both revolted, but we are also determined to not let this repulsion get in the way of our task. We think of the dogs who need clean kennels to stay in, and the task no longer feels “undoable.” It’s 9:45 am and we are engaged in one of the first jobs that need to be done at the animal recovery center: scooping up all the poop from the various enclosures that house dogs.

It was a cold winter day in January when we first brought home Eddie, our new puppy. He was a “pure-breed double-coated” German Shepherd, one of the eight pups born to Elsa, a docile bitch *owned* by a hobby breeder. To acquire this trophy pup, dad paid Rs. 3000, a princely sum in the mid-1990s. It was a very exciting time for my little brother, “K”, and me—our dream of getting a “pet” dog had finally come true! But… something about the entire situation felt wrong; what, my preteen mind couldn’t yet pinpoint.

Eddie cried throughout the first night he was with us. He was probably missing his mother, the warmth of her body, the comfort of suckling her teats, the company of his siblings. He was, after all, just an infant, albeit of a different species! Then it struck me why something felt wrong: a tiny baby, not even a month old, had been taken away from his mother and sold to strangers! Nonetheless, my parents did their best in raising him. The pup was taken to the best vet in the city and arrangements were made for him to have a comfortable life. Due care was taken regarding his food and vaccinations.

A few weeks passed. It was peak winter. One day, while playing with our naughty little fur-ball, K blurted out of the blue, “We should have adopted a puppy from the streets, no? Eddie would have found a home anyway!”

Continued from Meet the Mascot—Part I

Sometime in May 2015, the mule came to the notice of a kind-hearted human. One thing led to another, and soon she was bundled up on a jeep carrier and transported to the Peepal Farm, an organic farm and stray animal recovery center in Dhanotu which is run by a group of vegans who are committed to helping animals.

Bela. That’s what the folks at the farm named the traumatized and fearful mule. Now, for the first time in her life, she was recognized as an individual. For the first time, she experienced love at the hands of humans, a species that had so far only tormented her. She thrived under the watchful care she was receiving and blossomed into a content, sweet-natured, and trusting individual.

Say “hi” to Bela, the beautiful mascot of the Of Donkeys & Dhokla blog who loves to munch on sweet guavas 🙂

Now, she isn’t a donkey—she’s a mule—but we won’t get too technical, ok?

There have been many animals who have influenced me deeply but Bela is one of those non-human souls who I bumped into one day and stood transformed as a human being. She’s a lovely creature (which animal isn’t, btw?!) and hers is an inspiring story that’s almost like a fairy-tale… a story that began with abuse, pain, abandonment, and suffering, which by a twist of fate transformed into one of love, hope, and redemption.